(Image source from: AP)
The 22-year-old Haryani, Manu Bhaker was on an edge to create history. She has already won two bronze medals in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 and participated in the women's 25m pistol final on Saturday (August 3). She came second in the qualification round on Friday and stood as a favorite.
Manu Bhaker might have been the first Indian to win three medals in the same Olympics, if Manu Bhaker had managed to win.
Women's 25m air pistol Event Updates:
Manu Bhaker eliminated Vietnamese shooter Thu Vinh Trinh In the first round.
Manu Bhaker was very well relaxed while she was playing the second round against Korean shooter F Yang J.
Manu Bhaker went for her third medal in a shoot against Hungarian world record shooter AV Major and lost. The former world record holder Veronika Major has secured a Bronze medal and left Manu Bhaker in fourth position. Veronika is the one who pushed Bhaker into second place even in the qualification round.
Republic of Korea Yang Jin has bagged the Gold in women’s 25m air pistol and Camille Jedrzejewski from France has won the Silver Medal, this is her first medal in the Olympics.
Manu Bhaker interacted with the media after the match, she said, ' Things didn't go well and this is not the last time for me, I will see you next time. I was trying my best, but that was not enough. I am glad that I won two medals, but right now I am not very well.' She also said that she is off from social media and not checking her phone at all. she also said, 'I want to eat lunch because I was not getting lunch here.'
Manu Bhaker always walked out from the Tokyo Olympics because of her pistol malfunction.
To date, only four Indians, Normal Pritchard, Sushil Kumar, PV Sindhu, and Bhaker secured two medals so far. Manu Bhaker missed at the edge to create history by winning three medals.
Pritchard won two silver medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics,
Wrestler Sushil won one bronze and one silver and Badminton PV Sindhu also won one bronze and one silver, in this Olympics, she walked out from the pre-quarterfinals.
On July 28th Bhaker wrote history by winning bronze at the women’s 10m air pistol event and on July 30th she won her second medal.
Manu Bhaker has already urged the country not to be disappointed if she is not adding more medals to the tally. But with the ongoing performance, everyone expected her third medal, but the world record holder pushed her out when she was fighting for third place. Manu Bhaker will soon return to India.
